Broad-winged bats
| Broad-winged bats | ||||||||||||
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Broad-winged bat ( Eptesicus serotinus ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Eptesicus | ||||||||||||
| Rafinesque , 1820 |
The broad-winged bats ( Eptesicus ) are a species of bat from the smooth-nosed family (Vespertilionidae). The genus includes around 30 species that are distributed almost worldwide, of which two species live, the (real) broad-winged bat and the northern bat, also in Europe.
description
The animals owe their name to their often broad, rounded wings. They reach a head body length of 35 to 75 millimeters, a tail length of 34 to 60 millimeters and a weight of 8 to 35 grams. Their fur is dark brown or black on the top, the underside is lighter.
Way of life
These bats are found in a wide variety of habitats, but many species may prefer forests. They are mainly nocturnal and often spend the day in smaller groups than other bats. They often sleep in tree hollows, caves or buildings. Their flight is considered to be rather slow, they move closer to the ground than other bat species. Most of the species are very local species and hibernate in colder regions. The food of the broad-winged bats consists largely of insects.
Reproduction
Females often set up nurseries in which they give birth and raise their young separately from the males. The one or two young are born in the species that live in temperate latitudes in spring or summer, but mating often takes place in autumn or winter, the semen of the male is then stored in the reproductive tract of the female. Like many other bats, they are long-lived, some animals live to be over ten years old, in individual cases even 20 years are possible.
The species
There are around 32 differentiated species, which are divided into four subgenera, Eptesicus , Rhinopterus , Neoromicia and Vespadelus . In some systematics, however , the subgenus Neoromicia and Vespadelus are assigned to pipistrelle bats ( Pipistrellus ).
Subgenus Eptesicus
- The black broad-winged bat ( Eptesicus andinus ) lives in the mountains in northern South America from Venezuela to Peru.
- The Bobrinskoi's bat ( Eptesicus bobrinskoi ) is native from Kazakhstan to Iran .
- The Bottas bat ( Eptesicus bottae ) is widespread from Turkey and Egypt to Central Asia.
- The Brazilian broad-winged bat ( Eptesicus brasiliensis ) lives in Central and South America .
- The Chiriqui broad-winged bat ( Eptesicus chiriquinus ) has several separate populations in northern South America and Panama .
- The lesser broad-winged bat ( Eptesicus diminutus ) is native to South America.
- The Argentine brown broad-winged bat ( Eptesicus furinalis ) is common from Mexico to Argentina .
- The great brown bat ( Eptesicus fuscus ) is distributed from southern Canada to northern Brazil .
- The Gobi broad-winged bat ( Eptesicus gobiensis ) lives in Central Asia.
- The Guadeloupe bat ( Eptesicus guadeloupensis ) is endemic to the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe . The species is considered threatened.
- The Hottentot broad-winged bat ( Eptesicus hottentotus ) lives in eastern and southern Africa .
- The Ecuadorian broad-winged bat ( Eptesicus innoxius ) lives on the Pacific coast of Ecuador and Peru . The IUCN lists the species as endangered.
- The Japanese broad-winged bat ( Eptesicus japonensis ) can be found in central areas of Japan .
- The Kobayashi broad-winged bat ( Eptesicus kobayashii ) is endemic to Korea .
- The Arabian broad-winged bat ( Eptesicus nasutus ) occurs from the Arabian Peninsula to Pakistan and Afghanistan . The species is considered endangered.
- The northern bat ( Eptesicus nilssonii ) is distributed from northern and central Europe to Japan and Tibet .
- The thick-eared broad-winged bat ( Eptesicus pachyotis ) occurs from northeast India to Thailand.
- The Lagos broad-winged bat ( Eptesicus platyops ) lives in western and central Africa.
- The (actual) broad-winged bat ( Eptesicus serotinus ) is widespread from Western Europe to Korea and Thailand and in northern Africa.
- The Tate broad-winged bat ( Eptesicus tatei ) is native to the Darjiling region in northeast India.
Subgenus Rhinopterus
- The warty broad-winged bat ( Eptesicus floweri ) is known from Mali and Sudan . Arms, legs and tail of this species are covered with small horn plates.
Subgenus Neoromicia
- Dark brown pipefish ( Eptesicus brunneus ) is common from Liberia to the Democratic Republic of the Congo .
- Cape pipistrelle ( Eptesicus capensis ) lives across sub-Saharan Africa.
- Yellow pipistrelle ( Eptesicus flavescens ) is only known from Angola and Burundi .
- Guinea pipebat ( Eptesicus guineensis ) is distributed from Senegal to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Melck pipistrelle ( Eptesicus melckorum ) lives in southern Africa.
- Banana pipebat ( Eptesicus nana )
- Rendall pipistrelle ( Eptesicus rendalli ) inhabits large parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
- Somalia pipebat ( Eptesicus somalicus ) is native to central and southern Africa.
- Neoromicia stanleyi occurs in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
- White-winged pipefish ( Eptesicus tenuipinnis ) is distributed from Senegal and Ethiopia to Angola.
- Zulu pipebat ( Eptesicus zuluensis )
Subgenus Vespadelus
- Baverstock wood bat ( Eptesicus baverstocki ) is native to central and southern Australia .
- Eptesicus douglasorum lives in northern Western Australia .
- Eastern forest bat ( Eptesicus pumilus ) lives in northern, central and eastern Australia.
- Southern forest bat ( Eptesicus regulus ) inhabits large parts of southern Australia.
- Eptesicus sagittula lives in southeastern Australia, on Tasmania and Lord Howe Island . It was originally the only species of mammal on this island.
- Small wood bat ( Eptesicus vulturnus ) is native to southeastern Australia and Tasmania.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN 0801857899
